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Me and My Guitar

Everything from Glen Campbell's history with Ovation, other guitar talk, and guitar picks!
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Cowpoke
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Re: Me and My Guitar

Post by Cowpoke »

Hi KMFrye54, welcome (back) to the forum. Great to hear you were able to turn your passion for playing guitar into your job. If you have any recordings of you playing some of those 12 string songs, please post them here!

About Glen and 12 string guitar... did you ever listen to Glen's instrumental albums he released as part of The Folkswingers? Some argue that these albums surpass The Astounding 12 String Guitar album in quality.

Here's a list of (mainly 12 sting guitar) albums Glen released under different names:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glen_Camp ... iscography" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The first Folkswingers album was released digitally in 2012...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/String-Guitars ... +Bluegrass" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks for posting your story!


I'm a carefree, range ridin', driftin' cowpoke...
KMFrye54
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Joined: Thu Nov 05, 2015 2:06 pm

Re: Me and My Guitar

Post by KMFrye54 »

I'll call this my first official post to this Forum. Been lurking around here for about a year, and a couple of short-ish comments are out there in other threads, but I'll make this "The introduction"...

I hit puberty about the time that Glen hit it big on the "Summer Brothers Smothers Show". I turned thirteen and fell seriouslly in love with the 12-string guitar, and more, what a guy like Glen Campbell could do with it. I had just started lessons on a 3/4 scale Spanish parlor guitar, but became instantly obsessed with getting my mitts on a 12-string. Any 12-string.

About a year later, I did. My parents bought me my first (an Aria jumbo) for my 14th birthday, and that was it. I wore out two copies of "The Astounding 12-string Guitar..." learning to play "Lonesome 12", "The Ballad of Jed Clampett" "500 Miles" (which earned me a position in my first-ever band), and "Wimoweh", among others.

Eventually, I had the entire album down and was looking for new songs to play, but that was the start of it. Meanwhile, my younger sister "discovered" Glen and became immediately enraptured with his singing, so it wasn't long before the "Goodtime Hour" was a staple of our family viewing, and the sounds of every album released reverberated from her bedroom what seemed like 24/7.

All of this did me some good. I started singing his songs around the area in church basements and local coffee houses, and after a bit, people started calling my house to ask me to come and play for them.

All of that was more than 45 years ago, and I still have two acoustic 12-strings in the music room. Still have that old parlor guitar, too, sitting alongside a vintage Gretsch, three Fenders, a pair ot Takamine acoustics and a nice, new Rickenbacker (12-string, of course).

Ultimately, my built-in Irish accent took me away from Campbell's music and into Irish/Celtic folk, where I was lucky enough to stay employed for over a quarter century before the late nights, hotels, and long drives finally took their toll and I found a new way to play my music and stay home most nights by taking a job as the musical director of a boutique hotel. That gig lasted 15 years. I still play, although COPD (From too many years in smoke-filled bars and restaurants) has taken a toll on my singing. Still, I'm not done yet!

There, that's the musical side of me in a rather large nutshell. I've traveled a different road from some Glen Campbell aficionados, but it all started with Glen and a 12-string.

Cheers, folks!


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Cowpoke
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Re: Me and My Guitar

Post by Cowpoke »

Wow, what a tremendous looking guitar. I am really curious to hear how it sounds too! Thanks for posting Mike.


I'm a carefree, range ridin', driftin' cowpoke...
Mike Joyce
Posts: 565
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Re: Me and My Guitar

Post by Mike Joyce »

Thanks Jay,
I was as excited as a puppy in a room full of rubber balls. I spent a lot of time looking but as soon as I started to play this thing the sound just took me to another place. I suppose memory,nostalgia and all those associations play a big part in these things. When I tried a number of the other guitars on offer they just didn't create any connections. I blame Glen of course. LOL
Anyway thanks for the discussion on this it was great to get your perspective.
I hope you and your family have a peaceful and musical Christmas.
Mike


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jay
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Re: Me and My Guitar

Post by jay »

Mike,
That flamed maple top is beautiful. My son had that same top on his. And plugged in, it has that Ovation flavor. He really liked the SS bowl.
Congrats!!!! You gotta be pumped.
I picked up a cedar top 80's Tak a couple of weeks ago and am enjoying it, quite a bit.
Please share that vid as soon as you can!
Merry Christmas Mike


Mike Joyce
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Re: Me and My Guitar

Post by Mike Joyce »

Hi Jay,
You will probably scream at me but I have bought an Ovation Celebrity Elite Plus CE44P-8QT. It was on special offer and having played with it for half an hour I decided it would do for what I wanted. I love the maple top and the action and sound are great. My thinking is that it will work well for me to record with and in the new year I will continue to keep an eye open for any used Ovations that come up for sale on E-bay or other site. I think musicians need a selection of guitars to work with.
(At least that's the story I am telling my wife) LOL
Unfortunately there was nothing coming up in my price range but I wanted to get one to plug in as I am going to be playing at some of the local folk clubs in the next week or so. I have added the link in case you want to see what it looks like, although I am sure you probably already know that anyway. I will use it on my next upload on youtube so you can here how mine sounds.Thanks for your input though Jay. I will let you know how I get on looking for the prize model.


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jay
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Re: Me and My Guitar

Post by jay »

Hey Mike...Hope your Thanksgiving was a blessed one...
You may be asking the wrong guy.

All Ovations, now, are built and assembled overseas. The Celebrity has always been an Asian product. IMO, the craftsmanship AND materials are just not up to what I consider a decent guitar. There is a reason for this, Mike. The demographics of the guitar market dictates that the average guitar sale, for the past 10 years has been right at 600 bucks, give or take 50 bucks. American made quality is not going to be found in that market...UNLESS

You find a very nice American made or Japanese made USED guitar that is 10-30 years old selling for 1/2 to 2/3rds the cost of what it cost new. That is where the really nice guitars are for the price of a new one from some Asian country.

If you are looking for Ovations, Mike...be patient and buy an excellent used Ovation for a fraction of what it sold new...American Made, Top notch materials...Get one that is A braced if you want that killer acoustic sound. Plugged in...All Ovations hold their own, pretty much...the bowl size makes a tad bit of difference. But sitting in the living room, plugged in, is bound to draw the ire of the loved ones ... lol.
I just bought my son a Legend that the asking retail, when new, was 1999.00 for ... 400 bucks. Yep...the guy bought it, let it sit in the case for 10+ years and decided to sell the dust collector. It had the original strings on it, and all the case candy.
The Tak i just bought...(which after playing it for an hour last night, has gotten a reprieve from ebay) was a 1000+ guitar back in the late 80's early 90s...that is 15 years of inflation ago...picked it up for 325 in dallas. Just a craigslist find and I happened to be running through the area.

Mike...if you are going to spend some $ on a guitar...my suggestion is ... leave the asian market alone...there are a lot of killer guitars in the secondary market at a fraction of what they were new...that the same $$$ can be used on.

Hey...don't hesitate to PM if you have any questions. Good luck with your quest. That is more than 1/2 the fun of playing a guitar...finding it!

Ok...here are some stats...and you can see why Guitar Center is in trouble and why Fender has scuttled Tocama,Hamer and Ovation and sold off Guild.

Year Units $retail Avg Price
2013 2,472,000 -.70% $1,070,244,000 7.0 $433
2012 2,489,390 -.9% $1,000,676,130 11.4% $403
2011 2,512,416 5.7% $934,971,450 11.4% $372
2010 2,377,310 4.6% $839,000,000 2.2% $353
2009 2,273,000 17.9% $820,746,000 21.0% $361
2008 2,341,551 20.5% $903,261,000 -1.9% $386
2007 1,942,625 11.4% $921,057,000 .13% $529
2006 1,742,498 5.6% $922,280,000 -0.1% $529
2005 1,648,595 23.3% $923,522,000 21.2% $560

For Acoustics, here is the breakdown for 2013
Under $100 390,028
$101 to $200 410,030
$201 to $350 181,628
$351 to $500 40,003
$501 to $1,000 90,010
$1,001 to $1,500 226,001
Over $1,501 25,200
Total 1,362,900


Mike Joyce
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Re: Me and My Guitar

Post by Mike Joyce »

Hi Jay,
You obviously have a great deal of experience of various guitars.
I was wondering what you thought about the new Ovation Celebrity elite range. I would appreciate your views as I am looking to buy a new one.
Cheers
Mike.


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jay
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Re: Me and My Guitar

Post by jay »

The list changes...
1968 Shiny Bowl Balladeer, the 1911th one made at New Hartford. It is in showroom condition and plays like a dream. Ovation never exceeded the acoustic quality of the first guitars they made, regardless of the top, what the bowl was made out of, the bracing or cost. I sent it back to New Hartford to have it shined up and a long time employee stated he had never seen an original in its condition.
1967 Balladeer, the 495th one made. This guitar is currently in California getting a facelift. You can follow its' progress, right here, on the Ovation Fan Club Forum

1982 Ovation 1651 John Lennon nutmeg Legend. I bought it incredibly cheap to turn and found that it has an INCREDIBLE sound to it. It has prevailed in the house over an Adamas Ute and a 30th Anniversary Custom Legend. Very balanced. Fun to play. The soundboard for these "Lennon" legends were left over from the Ovation Patriot series. Ovation was pretty good at keeping the scrap pile bare.

Late 80ish Takamine EN10c Full wood, cedar topped ... it will make ebay before the year is over. A nice sounding guitar. You can feel it nicely through the back. 1651 smokes it.
81 Ovation 1619 Custom Legend. Beautiful guitar...1651 sounds better (they are basically the same guitar, "A" braced, CL has more bling) ... ebay bound also

Ovation 6773...Country Artist Nylon... I have owned better sounding classicals...but they are all 2" boards. This one is fun to play, acoustically is ok, plugged in is great and it is a 1 3/4 or 7/8 board.

Yamaha Silent Guitar nylon...easy to carry on trips, indestructible.

None of the above, except for the original Ovations, are keepers. I have owned quite a few...And I have yet to sell a guitar I wished I had back.


Mike Joyce
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Re: Me and My Guitar

Post by Mike Joyce »

I have a GC signature 1127-4 which I gather is from 1974. It's a great acoustic but I am going to get another Ovation shortly. I am looking at the Celebrity CE44 which is in a choice of about 4 colours. I do like the natural though. The guy at the shop tells me that Ovation really have gone off the market and no one asks for them much these days. I find that strange because I have always loved the sound and the design. I played with a Epiphone red button but it will not work as an acoustic model so I will have to leave that for another time. It was great to walk around all these great instruments. Some cost more than my car.


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